Battery Confusion

I am confused as to how a car gps works with regards to the battery. Am I correct in assuming that if everything is working properly, I should be able to have my gps on for as long as I want as long as I have it plugged into the accessory power thing in my car? Shouldn't it continuously charge?

The reason I ask is that my Magellan only lasts about 30 minutes and then starts to power down due to "low battery". This is the second battery I have replaced and I don't use the gps very much at all. It takes about 6 hours to charge using the USB on my PC. After charging it works fine for about half an hour and then craps out again due to low battery. I don't like having to replace the battery every couple of months. I know the power cord is ok since it happens in both of my vehicles.

Advertissements

Perhaps the fact that it happens in both vehicles is an indication that the power cord is not ok. I don't have a Magellan but i'm sure they work the same as a Garmin, so when 'plugged in' to the powered lighter charger there should be sufficient current to both power the unit and charge it's battery. Try another power lead, any brand with a compatible plug [most are miniUSB], 5V DC output and at least 1 amp current should work.

'Thanking Posts' are banned. To thank someone, and/or to see hidden links and content, use the [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] button below left of the helpful post then refresh your browser [F5 key]. 'Thanking Posts' are banned.Please don't spam. Posts serving no purpose other than to thank or to ask about hidden links are trashed or deleted, it's GPSPower's policy. Please don't spam.[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] should make their first post as a new Intro Thread in [Only registered and activated users can see links. ].

It depends on your car and the condition of your car.
In my experience, the 12V outlet/ cigarette lighter outlet on some makes and models of Toyota and Range Rovers that I've owned have had short circuits in the outlet themselves. So I don't have the full 12V out of the outlet. Normally, what this means is if the device does not detect a 12V source, then the threshold conditions aren't met and your device doesn't start charging.
Also, your car could have a faulty ignition switch. Usually, once you turn the car over the accessory power comes on. However if your switch is bad, it could break the connection to the accessory power you need to keep your GPS charged.
Why don't you consider trying to plug your GPS in another car to see if it charges while you drive? Maybe your GPS battery is on its last legs.

Well M8 seems you may not know that when you turn your car off the cig lighter is OFF as well so you need to set your GPS to power down when there is no EXTERNAL power supplied. Easy peasy M8.
The only way to supply continuous power is to make a power outlet external to your Ignition switch as I have done in my Troopy coz I have GPS, Phone and Radio gear that needs to be on or charging while I have the Ignition OFF. You guys seem to be City folk and really haven't been out in the bush as we Ozzies say, so hey ya don't know/realize other things to do.
It only comes down to Experience and survival M8 so keep asking questions and we will keep giving answers.
I'm out in the bush/wilderness/outback /also places you have never been places yeh.
Da Iggs has been there.

Neil

Can't see a link/attachment? Don't post asking why. Just 'Like' the post & hit F5:THE LIKE BUTTON IS NOW IN THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND CORNER
Posts serving no purpose like thanks or to ask about links go to [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] or are deleted, it's GPS Power policy.

Wot! I was b-r-i-e-f comparatively .... i reckon you're the one running off at the mouth this time Iggy, and i still think either the OP or i am right. i.e. (i) the battery's crapped itself; or (ii) the charging lead's shot.

Most likely he's right and the battery is not holding charge [again] rather than the charging cable being faulty as i suggested as a possibility. I just re-read his post and noticed that he mentioned "I don't use the gps very much at all". That's probably the key. He has let it go flat for extended periods. Although chemically very different, Li and lead acid cells share some characteristics in that they love to be kept topped up and trickle charged. This isn't lost on car owners who mostly know this as fact for their automobile battery and that if you let it go flat for a couple of extended periods then it won't hold a charge, but it's not generally accepted by owners of mobile devices with lithium batteries. In fact many ppl intentionally let them run right down before charging them, treating them like the older NiCad and NiMH cells which would get a 'memory effect' if repeatedly discharged only partly, particularly NiCads. That comparison between lead acid and Li batteries is frankly a gross over-simplification but i've found it effective when explaining to non-believers why not to let Li-powered mobile devices be run right down and then left flat.

Although Li-Ion/Li-Pol cells have a quite low self-discharge rate, the batteries should never be stored for long periods if low in change. In spite of their integrated over/under charging protection if allowed go completely flat repeatedly they will not be able to then fully charge or indeed may not change at all eventually, just like a car battery.

The moral is always fully charge a Li device before storing it, and if it's not being used then put it on charge once a month or so to top it up. Never allow it to fully run down.
Now you can tell me to Iggy!
PS: I might talk and write like a city slicker, but i knows how to rough it and could probably teach you a few survival tricks too Sonny.

Last edited by Neil; 8th March 2015 at 23:06.

'Thanking Posts' are banned. To thank someone, and/or to see hidden links and content, use the [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] button below left of the helpful post then refresh your browser [F5 key]. 'Thanking Posts' are banned.Please don't spam. Posts serving no purpose other than to thank or to ask about hidden links are trashed or deleted, it's GPSPower's policy. Please don't spam.[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] should make their first post as a new Intro Thread in [Only registered and activated users can see links. ].

Neil ya done it again M8 hey I give bullet form and Ya fill in the gaps M8 Yay
so has the problem been solved or am I slow bin a West Ozzy huh.

Can't see a link/attachment? Don't post asking why. Just 'Like' the post & hit F5:THE LIKE BUTTON IS NOW IN THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND CORNER
Posts serving no purpose like thanks or to ask about links go to [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] or are deleted, it's GPS Power policy.

I've yet to find the GPS that has a long battery life, and for this simple reason: GPS receivers SUCK power immensely. They aren't designed to run without being plugged in for too long, and in my experience, 1/2 hour to 1 hour is about normal battery life.

As an example, I run a routing app for work on a tablet, and without the app running the tablet gets about 10-12 hours of battery life. With the app running (which uses GPS or pseudo GPS) I'm lucky to make 2 hours.

Neil, LiPo are very much NOT like Lead Acid, and "topping up" has lead my family to replacing their cell phones due to batteries that no longer hold a usable charge right around the 2 year mark, while I'm now on year 4 with the same phone, same battery, and I get a week of standby time. (basic flip phone) Though I will probably agree about not leaving them flat for any length of time.

..................
Neil, LiPo are very much NOT like Lead Acid, and "topping up" has lead my family to replacing their cell phones due to batteries that no longer hold a usable charge right around the 2 year mark, while I'm now on year 4 with the same phone, same battery, and I get a week of standby time. (basic flip phone) Though I will probably agree about not leaving them flat for any length of time.

You may have misunderstood, i didn't say they were alike, in fact i said the opposite and that they are very different and only share some characteristics such as they will fail if let go flat repeatedly:

Originally Posted by Neil

........... Although chemically very different, Li and lead acid cells share some characteristics in that they love to be kept topped up and trickle charged. This isn't lost on car owners who mostly know this as fact for their automobile battery and that if you let it go flat for a couple of extended periods then it won't hold a charge, but it's not generally accepted by owners of mobile devices with lithium batteries. In fact many ppl intentionally let them run right down before charging them, treating them like the older NiCad and NiMH cells which would get a 'memory effect' if repeatedly discharged only partly, particularly NiCads. That comparison between lead acid and Li batteries is frankly a gross over-simplification but i've found it effective when explaining to non-believers why not to let Li-powered mobile devices be run right down and then left flat.

Although Li-Ion/Li-Pol cells have a quite low self-discharge rate, the batteries should never be stored for long periods if low in change. In spite of their integrated over/under charging protection if allowed go completely flat repeatedly they will not be able to then fully charge or indeed may not change at all eventually, just like a car battery.
.....

As to topping up causing problems, my Nokia 5800 is 6 years old with the original battery, it usually goes on charge every night regardless of if i haven't even made a call and it will still last in standby for several days [when away for several days not long back without a charger]. If it does cause problems to top them up it takes a while. Running them down like NiCad and NiMH cells will finish them in no time.

'Thanking Posts' are banned. To thank someone, and/or to see hidden links and content, use the [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] button below left of the helpful post then refresh your browser [F5 key]. 'Thanking Posts' are banned.Please don't spam. Posts serving no purpose other than to thank or to ask about hidden links are trashed or deleted, it's GPSPower's policy. Please don't spam.[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] should make their first post as a new Intro Thread in [Only registered and activated users can see links. ].

Well I have a Telstra "Blue tick phone" better for Rural use "in fact I have 2 now. The first 1 after mm 5 years the Li battery finaly died, so thought buy a new Battery 'that was to cost $49' so hey can buy a new Blue Tick for $45 so I did. Then later I bought a replacement battery out of China for $10 so now have 2 working blue Ticks, yay. in the mean time the Missus had this Samsung Galaxy thing so am using that, tis easy to use text and has a GPS but I have to put it on charge every second day whether I use it or not, is useless outside the City even if running my Telstra Sim, maybe useful if all my GPS's fail but the maps show no roads of usefulness outside the city.

Can't see a link/attachment? Don't post asking why. Just 'Like' the post & hit F5:THE LIKE BUTTON IS NOW IN THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND CORNER
Posts serving no purpose like thanks or to ask about links go to [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] or are deleted, it's GPS Power policy.

We use cookies to store session information to facilitate remembering your login information, to allow you to save website preferences, to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners.